2.5⭐️ rounded up: Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat is an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice, if Elizabeth Bennett was an aimless late 20-something trying to balance finding herself and pleasing her overbearing mother and if Darcy were a tech CEO with a misunderstood heart of gold. I feel that it does lean into its inspiration too obviously and without the nuance needed to make the story charming, and there are adaptations of P&P that explore the character archetypes in a more satisfying way. The characters here feel a bit try-hard and attempt to mash up Meryton and Manhattan through Sex and the City-esque dialogue that doesn’t always hit the mark. That being said, it’s a quick read that those looking for a casually written modern day romance with a bit of nostalgia might enjoy. This may be for you if you like exploring different ways to view an old favorite, it may not be for you if Pride and Prejudice is your favorite book. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC!

This novel is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling. I love how the author didn't try to just do a copy and paste into modern situations but rather justo follow the general idea of the book and adapt it into a unique romcom.
We are following Rachel in her late twenties as she navigates relationships, friendship and family while trying to stay afloat. This is a messy, realistic story, full of flawed characters who you see evolve and mature through out the book.
This debut novel is definitely funny and worth reading and I'm excited to read what Lauren writes next.
Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t enjoy this very much because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I think it reads more like women’s fiction versus a rom-com, especially since the two MCs didn’t really get together until like the last chapter.

I was not a fan of Rachel. I really just wasn’t a fan of her personality and a lot of the things she did. Her family was also kind of the worst so I understand why she ended up that way (except Jane, I liked her and Owen). I think her making jokes about her boss via a work survey and the video making fun of sexual assault was where I drew the line and probably should’ve DNF’d but I wanted to see how the end would play out.

I liked Christopher but I felt like we didn’t see enough of him, and I didn’t think he and Rachel interacted enough for him to suddenly be in love with her. It felt a little too insta-love/unrealistic for me.

If you are looking for a fresh, funny, slightly frenetic, make you laugh book that's Pride and Prejudice coded with more of a Bridget Jones vibe, this one is for you.

Rachel is a 29 year old opinionated hot mess who is trying to figure out her life- less booze and random hookups and more forward direction- and has even agreed to trying J Date as her New Years Resolution. She meets the insufferable rich tech millionaire Christopher, and they immediately butt heads. Through all her ups and downs, Rachel is supported by her 3 girlfriends and their group chat.

Rachel is a fun, imperfect and relatable main character who grows throughout the novel. There is a heavy emphasis on female friendship and I loved the way that the friend group supported each other; they weren't perfect and were going through their own problems themselves, reflected in the change in the dynamic of the group chat. I liked the character of Christopher, and how he turned out not to be so insufferable after all (though I would have liked more of him in the story). As for Rachel's Jewish family, they felt so familiar to me. The matchmaker mother. All the gossip. All the anxiety. Her mother is the quintessential Jewish mother with a hint of Mrs. Bennett's hysteria.

I think the book did fall off in the second half and wasn't as engaging- I would have preferred more romance and the development of Rachel and Christopher's relationship than the many subplots and hijinks.

I read this book in one sitting and it made me smile a good chunk of the time. It's not so much a romantic comedy as comedy with a side of romance. More Bridget than Bennett, I thought this was a fun modern take on a beloved classic. Thank you Forever and Netgalley for my earc.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this book early!

General Description: Starting fresh on New Year's Day, Rachel Weiss realizes she wants to make some life changes as she turns 30. She constantly turns to her groupchat for advice. however, as she start to feel the familial pressure to start her own family, feeling unfulfilled at work, and her group chat starts to fall apart, Rachel realizes she needs to find herself first. Will she be able to go through her self discovery journey without the groupchat or will she stay falling apart?

The goods:
- Rachel's growth in the book is immaculate.
- I personally loved the messy times in Rachel's life that we saw, from her sisters to her friends to her mom.
- How the romance is handled in this book is something unique that i was not expecting but greatly appreciated
- It was a very snappy, fast paced book that i read in 2 days.

The loss of a star:
- I will admit, this book is VERY millennial. I found a lot of it funny, but sometimes, it was over the top cringy. I was definitely taken out of the book at points by the over the top attitude of some characters and some of the jokes.

Overall, I feel like if you don't like reality TV shows or millennial humor, this will not be the book for you. However, if you're in your mid-20s/early-30s, I feel like you'd be able to connect with the book and really enjoy it.

This was a very cute, I'm not super young but it's time to grow up book. Although they're was romantic elements the story focused on Rachel, her friends, and navigating being thirty something. It was poignant cute, and a reminder that we are always in control unless we give that control to others even if it's unconsciously.

I unfortunaltey DNFed this one 25% in. While I did find myself chuckling at some of the jokes in this it just wasn't enough to draw me in. I had a hard time connecting with Rachel and the story just wasn't really grasping me. I do think it would make a fun audio so I may revisit in that format at some point in the future!

Rachel’s thirtieth birthday is off to a disastrous start: a dead-end job, a string of disappointing relationships, and a meddling mother determined to set her up with the wealthy neighbor. As her life unravels, Rachel finds solace in her friends and a surprising connection with the uptight tech bro next door. Their unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, forcing Rachel to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the man she thought she couldn’t stand.

I loved this book from start to finish. It’s funny and heartwarming and genuine. I related to how messy and real Rachel is. I love how Christopher understands her and makes her feel like she can be her true self. The book is as much women’s fiction as romance, with a strong focus on family and friends.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this one—the concept of a modern Jewish retelling of Pride & Prejudice is right up my alley. But I found the main character insufferable and also her “bad behavior” wasn’t even believable at times.

I love seeing more Jewish representation in books, but here it felt a little too stereotypical and not authentic. Also somewhat outdated.

Unfortunately I DNF’d this because I really did not enjoy reading it.

This was a fun take on Pride and Prejudice that reminded me of Bridget Jones' Diary. I really liked the focus on Rachel's friend group, which was a lot more fun and interesting to me than the romance. I think if you're looking for more of a romance, you might be disappointed since that wasn't really the main focus of the book, but I didn't mind at all because I loved how funny and realistic Rachel's interactions with her friends felt.

I loved the premise of the book, as a PP retelling, but feel that it fell flat in the delivery and the characters themselves for me. Though it was a quick read, it felt more like women's fiction and less like a romantic novel.

Rachel is not likeable and while I love that the author works to have her evolve and she does have a love interest, the premise feels more like women's fiction. The author has worked to make the heroine a bit messy and hopefully relatable and lovable at the end. I wasn't able to fully warm up to her, but can see the appeal and love that she tried to show how messy relationships and friendships can be.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Almost-30 Rachel Weiss is single and really does not want to end up with the tech-millionaire her Jewish mother has hand-picked for her. But maybe, as Rachel finds out through her ridiculous escapades, her mother has really picked out a gem?

Ugh. This one is tough. Did I breeze through it? Yep. Did I roll my eyes around every corner? Also yep. Rachel Weiss, for lack of a better term, sucks. Her friends and family also kind of stink. She blames everyone else for her problems, has a horribly self-centered friend group, and her family does some terribly questionable things (it will never be cool to make fun of sexual assault victims or to cheat your way into college, and then blame someone else that people call you out on that?). And through all of this, a cinnamon roll of a human who is generous, kind, and genuine falls into Rachel’s orbit? Woof. Does Christopher Butkus just have some self-esteem issues because his last name is Butkus? Who knows.

2/5 stars, mostly because Christopher deserves a star and I do appreciate the Rachel got it somewhat together and wasn’t completely abhorrent by the last page.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book felt more like women's fiction that a rom com. I didn't really get the romance between Christopher and Rachel in the slightest since the majority of the story was all over the place with all the different story lines going on. The actions of the main characters didn't really feel like something someone in their late 20's - early 30's at all so in all honesty it kind of lost me. The book was really easy to read and digest it just felt like it was missing something.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and I get the P&P retelling may draw a lot of people in, but for me it was just sort of there and not a focal point.

I enjoyed this, but I did get confused at times with the plethora of characters.

I liked the Pride & Prejudice references but i don’t think they all translated well for this modern story. there was also a lot going on throughout the book and so many characters that I feel weren’t very fleshed out.

A fun P&P retelling that, as a Jewish woman, at one point made me laugh out loud (the part at the college friend’s wedding when she talks about gentiles liking to feel like they have an in with the Jews).

This book was heartwarming and hilarious. Rachel Weiss is navigating turning thirty, a job she doesn’t enjoy, and a series of misfortunate romantic endeavors. The only thing keeping her sane is her group chat with her girl friends. Her meddling mom is scheming up matchmaking attempts with the boy next door, Adam. She cannot escape him with him showing up in the most unexpected places. This book reminds you of the power of friendship, to expect the unexpected, and that there is no right timeline for getting to know yourself.

I'm not a fan of the writing and the hot mess MC. The pride & prejudice retelling is not a win in my book. The mom is more annoying in this book. This book is not for me.

Rachel’s mother was all sorts of annoying, until I realized this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling and her mother is supposed to be the quintessential Mrs. Bennett. Rachel is an almost-thirty year old single woman living her best life ever with her best friends, a job she hates, and no relationship prospects in sight. Her meddling mother tries very hard to set her up with the new billionaire neighbor, Christopher, but she hates him immediately because of his tech job, his money, and the glowing recommendation from her mother. He’s basically the Darcy character here being all stern and serious and aloof. We spend most of the book with Rachel either thriving or flailing at life with misadventures in dating and various embarrassing encounters with Christopher. It’s light on the actual romance between Rachel and Christopher, since they rarely get any page time together. It leans more towards women’s fiction to me, with Rachel needing to find her footing in the world on her own, before realizing that maybe her mom was right about Christopher being perfect for her.

How you feel about this is going to depend hard on how you feel about Rachel, who is immature and annoying at best and truly awful at worst. She's bereft because she's turning 30 and she's unmarried. Her mother is on her case about this. Much of this is told (well, the best parts) in texts and dms- a format which can be a pain but it works here. There's a twist that redeems things so keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.